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FreightWaves Midwest Bureau Chief Alan Adler Dies

Alan Adler, a veteran journalist who covered automotive technology and autonomous vehicles for FreightWaves, died Friday. Adler served as Midwest bureau chief and created the Truck Tech newsletter and podcast, conducting regular interviews with industry executives. He was instrumental in reporting on the Nikola truck saga. Before joining FreightWaves in 2019, Adler spent 20 years in domestic and international media relations and executive communications at General Motors, following earlier roles at The Associated Press and Detroit Free Press. His GM experience informed his later coverage of emerging trucking technologies including autonomy. Adler retired from FreightWaves in 2025 but remained active mentoring journalists covering his former beat. Beyond his journalism career, Adler was deeply involved in community service, volunteering with food distribution organizations and disaster relief efforts while serving as a church elder.